Portugal : cheers to Douro. by lightmediation

Closely linked to Port wine, the « Douro » valley has been bringing life to the entire northern Portugal region. Auspicious to its discovery, grape-picking season in the fall is the promise of a palatable journey in a region listed in the World Heritage.

Portugal : cheers to Douro. Photos and text ©Marc Dozier/LightMediation Contact - Thierry Tinacci - LightMediation Photo Agency +33 (0)6 61 80 57 21 thierry@lightmediation.com

1841-33: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silvar participates to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-01: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, the Quinta da Eira Velha, Joao da Silva, a harvester

1841-02: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Calem esplanade, D. Tonho restaurant looking onto the Douro river and Cais de Ribeira historical district, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO

1841-03: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Barca da Alva, seen from Candedo, the rivers Agueda et Douro

1841-04: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, SĂŠ Cathdral, the Gothic cloister, azulejos representing scenes from the Song of Songs and the

1841-36: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district, Formosa street, A Perola do Bolhao grocer's shop, Art Deco facade (1910)

1841-05: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-06: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, each Saturday afternoon a train commutes between Peso da RĂŠgua and Tua

1841-07: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Sao Francisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-08: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of the Douro Valley

1841-35: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-09: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district, rabelos on the Douro river

1841-10: Portugal, Douro Valley, ValenĂ§a do Douro, Laura Alvos participates to the harvests organized by Quinta de Panascal

1841-11: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyards on the slope of the Douro Valley

1841-12: Portugal, Douro Valley, Peso da RĂŠgua, Casa do Douro, Porto institute headquarters, modern stained-glass window by Lino Antonio, illustrating the story and making of the local wines

1841-40: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyards on the slope of the Douro Valley

1841-13: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, the rabelo proposes mini-cruises on the river Douro between Pinhao and Tua, piloted by captain Tomas

1841-14: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia

1841-15: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, facing Porto, rabelos belonging to the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars and Cais de Ribeira historical district in the

1841-16: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Sao Francisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-10: Portugal, Douro Valley, Valenรงa do Douro, Laura Alvos participates to the harvests organized by Quinta de Panascal

1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-17: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-18: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, amber-coloured bottle of 1953 Royal Oporto Porto

1841-19: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, quinta de Ferreira, Porto tasting

1841-20: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, vintage Porto bottles

1841-03: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Barca da Alva, seen from Candedo, the rivers Agueda et Douro

1841-21: Portugal, Douro Valley, h么tel Vintage House, barman Joaquim Cruz opens an exceptional vintage Porto bottle by thermic shock so as to not waken up the wine and bring new sediments

1841-22: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of the Douro Valley

1841-23: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Valen莽a do Douro, Laura Alvos participates to the harvests organized by Quinta de Panascal

1841-24: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-25: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Santa Clara church, built in 1416

1841-26: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, the Quinta da Eira Velha, Joao da Silva, a harvester

1841-27: Portugal, Douro Valley, Lamego, Nossa Sehora dos remedios chruch and his stair of 686 steps

1841-28: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Fos C么a, Georges Dominguez with his cheeps

1841-08: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of the Douro Valley

1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-30: Portugal, vallĂŠe du Douro, Porto, centre historique classĂŠ Patrimoine Mondial de l' UNESCO, place General Humberto Delgado, la mairie

1841-31: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Santa Clara church, built in 1416

1841-32: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Mesao Frio, the Pousada Solar da Rede, a former 18th century palace transformed into a hotel

1841-33: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silvar participates to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-34: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-35: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, Arrabida bridge in the background

1841-37: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila RĂŠal, Solar de Mateus manor, Baroque Portuguese Baroque architecture of the 18th century, the library

1841-38: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Ferreira cellar, cellarman Francisco Paulo Pereira Pinto

1841-39: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, the train station, azulejos illustrate harvesting traditions of the Douro Valley

1841-40: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, terraced vineyards on the slope of the Douro Valley

1841-38: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Gaia, Ferreira cellar, cellarman Francisco Paulo Pereira Pinto

1841-41: Portugal, Douro Valley, Vila Nova de Fos C么a, the archaeological park of the C么a Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Stone Age stone engravings

1841-42: Portugal, Douro Valley, Lamego, Santa Cruz monastery

1841-43: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Cais de Ribeira historical district, Santa Clara church, Portuguese Baroque architecture

1841-44: Portugal, Douro Valley, Pinhao, h么tel Vintage House, a lounge

1841-45: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, in front of the SĂŠ Cathedral, a sculpted pilar dated 1945

1841-46: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley

1841-47: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, Cais de Ribeira historical district, rabelos on the Douro river

1841-48: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Mesao Frio, the Pousada Solar da Rede, a former 18th century palace transformed into a hotel

1841-49: Portugal, Douro Valley, Peso da RĂŠgua, Casa do Douro, Porto institute headquarters, modern stained-glass window by Lino Antonio, illustrating the story and making of the local wines

1841-51: Portugal, Douro area, Casa de Mateus on Vila Real

1841-50: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Sao Francisco church, the nave, Portuguese Baroque architecture

Portugal : cheers to Douro. With its Northern Portugal vine painted hills, the wine valley of Douro is ground to the most famous wines of the Iberian peninsula: Port wine. Everywhere, the earth boasting terraces bears the deep and regular marks of the work of man and its perseverance to draw this famous drink exported by the namesake town. Today, these one of a kind modeled landscapes are part of the High Drouo wine country, a site listed since 2001 as World Heritage known as being since the 17th century the first worldwide trademarked region. Sheltered from the cold and humid winds of the Atlantic by the Marão and Montemuro mountains, the dissociated area has always enjoyed a microclimate guaranteeing sun and heat, The imminent grape-picking season in the fall reveals all the beauties of the undulating grounds and the perseverance of its men that gives birth to this well known beverage. In the quintas, traditional wineries, the wine is gleefully foot pressed and visitors are welcomed to be initiated to the secrets of this beverage's production: from the hand picking to the bottling and tasting. Once upon a time, the Port wine filled vats were conveyed in small flat-bottom boats, the rabelos, down the impetuous « golden » river, the Drouo, which stretched along the valley on eight hundred kilometers before merging into the Atlantic Ocean. To this day, once in the seaside town of Porto, these vats end their fermentation in the fresh storehouses of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Open to the public, the cellars allow to continue discovering the process of wine making and to savor the sweet tastes of Porto upon completing the visit. The shaded shores of the cellars face the sun drenched historical neighborhood of Cais de Ribeira and its remarkable colored medieval facades. From its steep heights, the old city listed as World Heritage since 1996, proudly displays its baroque monuments, Portuguese architecture at its prime: the golden church of Sao Fransisco, the unobstructed city view from the Clerigos tower or the magnificent gothic cloister of the Sé orné d'azulejos Cathedral. The city of Porto owes it all to Port Wine and to the Drouo Valley where it begins. It knows and respects it. Oporto, "the port" gives the river a last homage from its 6 bridges thrown towards Vila Nova de Gaia, impressive guard of honor suspended above the waters. Celebrating, as the great national poet Miguel Torga writes it, that the Drouo is indeed this "prodigal landscape that ceases to exist for lack of balance. (...) A geological poem. An absolute beauty."

Captions. 1841-04: Portugal, Douro Valley, Porto, historical center classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, S茅 Cathdral, the Gothic cloister, azulejos representing scenes from the Song of Songs and the Metamorphoses by Ovid 1841-13: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Vintage House hotel, the rabelo proposes mini-cruises on the river Douro between Pinhao and Tua, piloted by captain Tomas Maia 1841-15: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Vila Nova de Gaia, facing Porto, rabelos belonging to the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars and Cais de Ribeira historical district in the background 1841-21: Portugal, Douro Valley, h么tel Vintage House, barman Joaquim Cruz opens an exceptional vintage Porto bottle by thermic shock so as to not waken up the wine and bring new sediments 1841-29: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley 1841-46: Portugal, Douro Valley, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, Pinhao, Joao da Silva and Antero Cardoso participate to Quinta da Eira Velha harvest, a domain looking onto the Douro valley